Skip to main content

Conceptual Framework Underlying the Development of a Positive Youth Development Program in Hong Kong

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Development and Evaluation of Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programs (P.A.T.H.S.)

Part of the book series: Quality of Life in Asia ((QLAS,volume 3))

Abstract

The conceptual framework governing the development of a positive youth development program in Hong Kong is outlined. Scientific literature on the positive youth development approach, including the argument for paradigm shift from psychopathology to positive youth development, ecological assets, thriving, spirituality, engagement, connectedness, and positive youth development constructs commonly used in youth programs, is reviewed. Based on positive youth development constructs derived from the successful programs, 15 constructs were adopted in the Project P.A.T.H.S. These included bonding, resilience, cognitive competence, social competence, emotional competence, behavioral competence, moral competence, self-determination, self-efficacy, clear and positive identity, spirituality, beliefs in the future, prosocial norms, prosocial involvement, and recognition for positive behavior.

The preparation for this chapter and the Project P.A.T.H.S. were financially supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Address all correspondence to Daniel T.L. Shek, Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Hong Kong (e-mail address: daniel.shek@polyu.edu.hk).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Astin, A. W., Astin, H. S., Lindholm, J. A., & Bryant, A. N. (2005). The spiritual life of college students: A national study of college students’ search for meaning and purpose. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barendsen, L., & Gardner, H. (2010). Good for what? The young worker in a global age. In P. A. Linley (Ed.), Oxford handbook of positive psychology and work (pp. 301–312). New York/Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, P. L. (2001). Developmental assets. In J. V. Lerner & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Adolescence in America: An encyclopedia (pp. 208–217). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, P.L. (2007). Spiritual development and adolescence. Family Focus (National Council on Family Relations), 19, 3–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, P. L. (2010). Parent, teacher, mentor, friend: How every adult can change kids’ lives. Chicago: Search Institute Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, P. L., & Roehlkepartain, E. C. (2008). Spiritual development: A missing priority in youth development. New Directions for Youth Development, 2008(118), 13–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Benson, P. L., & Saito, R. N. (2000). The scientific foundation of youth development. In Youth development: Issues, challenges and directions (pp. 125–148). Retrieved from http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/files/r1608-youth-development.pdf

  • Benson, P. L., & Scales, P. C. (2009). The definition and preliminary measurement of thriving in adolescence. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(1), 85–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benson, P. L., Scales, P. C., Hamilton, S. H., & Sesma, A., Jr. (2006). Positive youth development: Theory, research, and applications. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology (6th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 894–941). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. (1998). The ecology of developmental process. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology. Vol. 1: Theoretical models of human development (5th ed., pp. 993–1028). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cardemil, E. V., Reivich, K. J., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2002).The prevention of depressive symptoms in low-income minority middle school students. Prevention & Treatment, 5(7), 1–31. Article 8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr, A. (2011). Positive psychology: The science of happiness and human strengths (2nd ed.). Hove, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catalano, R. F., Berglund, M. L., Ryan, J. A. M., Lonczak, H. S., & Hawkins, J. D. (2004). Positive youth development in the United States: Research findings on evaluations of positive youth development programs. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 591(1), 98–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Catalano, R. F., Fagan, A. A., Gavin, L. E., Greenberg, M. T., Irwin, C. E., Ross, D. A., et al. (2012). Worldwide application of prevention science in adolescent health. Lancet, 379, 1653–1664.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Colby, A. (2007). Educating for democracy: Preparing undergraduates for responsible political engagement (1st ed.). San Francisco/Stanford, CA: Jossey-Bass/The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colby, A., & Kohlberg, L. (1987). The measurement of moral judgment. Cambridge, UK/New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damon, W. (2004). What is positive youth development? The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 591(1), 13–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damon, W., Menon, J., & Bronk, K. (2003). The development of purpose during adolescence. Applied Developmental Science, 7(3), 119–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82, 405–432.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H., Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Damon, W. (2001). Good work: When excellence and ethics meet. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hauser, S. T. (1999). Understanding resilient outcomes: Adolescent lives across time and generations. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 9(1), 1–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hills, J., & Gibson, C. (1992). A conceptual framework for thinking about conceptual frameworks: Bridging the theory-practice gap. Journal of Educational Administration, 30(4), 4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E. S., Gilman, R., & Furlong, M. J. (2009). A conceptual model for research in positive psychology in children and youth. In E. S. Huebner, R. Gilman, & M. J. Furlong (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology in schools (pp. 3–8). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R. W. (2000). Toward a psychology of positive youth development. American Psychologist, 55(1), 170–183.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R. W., Hansen, D. M., & Moneta, G. (2006). Differing profiles of developmental experiences across types of organized youth activities. Developmental Psychology, 42(5), 849–863.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, R. M. (2004). Liberty: Thriving and civic engagement among America’s youth. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, R. M., Brentano, C., Dowling, E. M., & Anderson, P. M. (2002). Positive youth development: Thriving as the basis of personhood and civil society. New Directions for Youth Development, 2002(95), 11–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S. (2006). Promoting resilience in development: A general framework for systems of care. In R. J. Flynn, P. M. Dudding, & J. G. Barber (Eds.), Promoting resilience in child welfare (pp. 3–17). Ottawa, Canada: University of Ottawa Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S., & Curtis, W. J. (2000). Integrating competence and psychopathology: Pathways toward a comprehensive science of adaptation in development. Development and Psychopathology, 12(3), 529.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, K. A., & Lippman, L. H. (2005). What do children need to flourish? Conceptualizing and measuring indicators of positive development. New York: Springer Science and Business Media.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). The values in action inventory of character strengths for youth. In K. A. Moore & L. Lippman (Eds.), What do children need to flourish? Conceptualizing and measuring indicators of positive development (pp. 13–24). New York: Springer Science and Business Media.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (2008). The satisfaction with life scale and the emerging construct of life satisfaction. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 3(2), 137–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paxton, R. J., Valois, R. F., Huebner, E. S., & Drane, J. W. (2006). Opportunity for adult bonding/meaningful neighborhood roles and life-satisfaction among USA middle school students. Social Indicators Research, 79(2), 291–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pittman, K. J., Irby, M., Tolman, J., Yohalem, N., & Ferber, T. (2003). Preventing problems, promoting development, encouraging engagement: Competing priorities or inseparable goals? Washington, DC: The Forum for Youth Investment, Impact Strategies, Inc. Retrieved from http://forumfyi.org/files/Preventing%20Problems,%20Promoting%20Development,%20Encouraging%20Engagement.pdf

  • Rhodes, J. (2002). Older and wiser: The risks and rewards of mentoring today’s youth. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roehlkepartain, E. C. (2012). Peter L. Benson: Spinning youth development toward hope and thriving. Applied Developmental Science, 16(1), 31–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scales, P. C., Benson, P. L., & Roehlkepartain, E. C. (2011). Adolescent thriving: The role of sparks, relationships, and empowerment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40(3), 263–277.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scales, P. C., Leffert, N., & Vraa, R. (2003). The relation of community developmental attentiveness to adolescent health. American Journal of Health and Behaviors, 27(1), 22–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scotton, B. W., Chinen, A. B., & Battista, J. R. (1996). Textbook of transpersonal psychiatry and psychology. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P. (1998). Building human strength: Psychology’s forgotten mission. APA Monitor, 29(1).

    Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shek, D. T. L. (2010a). Positive youth development and behavioral intention to gamble among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 22(1), 1–172.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shek, D. T. L. (2010b). Introduction: Quality of life of Chinese people in a changing world. Social Indicators Research, 95(3), 357–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shek, D. T. L. (2010c). Using students’ weekly diaries to evaluate positive youth development programs: Are findings based on multiple studies consistent? Social Indicators Research, 95(3), 475–487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shek, D. T. L., & Merrick, J. (Eds.). (2006). Holistic adolescent development: Development of a positive youth development programs in Hong Kong. London: Freund Publishing House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shek, D. T. L., Siu, A. M. H., & Lee, T. Y. (2007). The Chinese positive youth development scale: A validation study. Research on Social Work Practice, 17(3), 380–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shek, D. T. L., Sun, R. C. F., & Merrick, J. (2012). Positive youth development constructs: Conceptual review and application. The Scientific World Journal, 2012, 1–3. Article ID 152923.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C., & Carlson, B. E. (1997). Stress, coping and resilience in children and youth. The Social Service Review, 71(2), 231–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, E. E., & Medin, D. L. (1981). Categories and concepts. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, C. R., Lopez, S. J., & Pedrotti, J. T. (2011). Positive psychology: The scientific and practical explorations of human strengths (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun, R. C. F., & Shek, D. T. L. (2010). Life satisfaction, positive youth development, and problem behaviour among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Social Indicators Research, 95(3), 455–474.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, R. C. F., & Shek, D. T. L. (2012). Positive youth development, life satisfaction and problem behaviour among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong: A replication. Social Indicators Research, 105, 541–559.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Theokas, C., Almerigi, J. B., Lerner, R. M., Dowling, E. M., Benson, P. L., Scales, P. C., et al. (2005). Conceptualizing and modeling individual and ecological asset components of thriving in early adolescence. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(1), 113–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weissberg, R. P., & Greenberg, M. T. (1998). School and community competence-enhancement and prevention programs. In W. Damon, I. E. Sigel, & K. A. Renninger (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology. Vol. 4: Child psychology in practice (5th ed., pp. 877–954). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weissberg, R. P., & O’Brien, M. U. (2004). What works in school-based social and emotional learning programs for positive youth development. The Annals of the American Academy of Political Social Science, 591, 86–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yust, K. M., Johnson, A. N., Sasso, S. E., & Roehlkepartain, E. C. (Eds.). (2006). Nurturing child and adolescent spirituality: Perspectives from the world’s religious traditions. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel T. L. Shek Ph.D., FHKPS, BBS, JP .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Shek, D.T.L., Wu, F.K.Y. (2013). Conceptual Framework Underlying the Development of a Positive Youth Development Program in Hong Kong. In: SHEK, D., Sun, R. (eds) Development and Evaluation of Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programs (P.A.T.H.S.). Quality of Life in Asia, vol 3. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4451-54-3_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics